Top 10 American Products That Are BANNED in Other Countries

Every now and then there seems to be an influx of concern over our use of plastic, and rightfully so. Over the last 10 years in particular, there have been tons of countries doing their part by banning single use plastic bags. You know, the common, grab 'em’ at the supermarket kind of bags. Some countries have outright banned the use of them, others have enforced partial bans or levied fees for using them. America on the other hand seems pretty lax, with only a few states having any sort of restriction on the use of the plastic sacks. As a whole, the U.S. seems a bit behind the times on its eco-conscious plastic bag initiative… rebel yell.

We wanted to throw a movie into the mix here, because America has its fair share of cinema snafus. And the title we’ve decided to focus on is a Martin Scorsese classic - The Last Temptation of Christ. Adapted from a novel of the same name, the movie faced instant backlash from groups all over the world, who took umbrage with the way Jesus was depicted. Countries everywhere banned it - including Mexico, Argentina and Israel, Scorsese got death threats, and there is still bubbling controversy to this day. But was it ever banned in America? Nope, it was celebrated as just another classic, controversial Scorsese picture.

Our first food-related entry - and it won’t be our last - is the trusty, holiday favorite, Stove Top Stuffing. This instant stuffing mix is quick, convenient, but maybe most importantly, potentially very hazardous to your health. Due to containing the chemicals BHA and BHT, it has been said to increase your risk of cancer and blood clots. And for good measure, it also contains a buttload of sodium. This culinary question mark won’t be found on shelves in places like the UK and Japan, but you can easily stroll into a U.S. Walmart and load up a basket of the stuff-ing. Stuffing.

You can’t just go about driving any car, in any country, on any type of road. It needs to comply with certain safety and emission standards. There are many cars for example - especially American muscle - that are simply not allowed on European roads. This includes the beloved Camaro model ZL1 1LE. The sleek, aerodynamic bodywork on this mean machine has been deemed too dangerous for European roads, and even some roads in the U.S. Even though the pointy fins, bulky bumpers and chunky spoiler are essential to how the Camaro puts down its power, it’s still a liability the rest of the world just doesn't want anything to do with, until some sort of apocalypse or zombie invasion comes knocking I suppose…

Firearms are easily obtainable in more countries than you’d think. But when it comes to fully automatic weapons, that’s a different story. These firearms carry much stricter laws, being banned in the vast majority of countries around the world - from the UK to Saudi Arabia, and Spain to Russia. In the US however, fully automatic weapons are legal in almost every state, provided they were manufactured prior to 1986. There are various other extreme weapons available to citizens in the US too, including 50 caliber weapons and bump stocks.

Okay, so the word “banned” may be a bit strong for this one - but hear us out. Lots of countries around the world have a tumultuous relationship with the ketchup condiment. Many strongly discourage its citizens from consuming it because of its unhealthy ingredients - but in somewhere like France for example, the negative attitude towards the sauce is far more cultural. It’s true that in 2011 the French government strongly discouraged school cafeterias from serving ketchup to try and combat obesity, however, it was also to protect the sanctity of French cuisine. I mean, why would you ruin a perfectly good meal with a sugary condiment? And it’s the same elsewhere in France, with a general disdain for ordering ketchup with your food. There is one exception to that however - when ordering french fries. Seriously, no joke.

You know what we’re talking about - the rolling devices designed to let baby’s scoot about the house. But you might be surprised to hear just how much controversy surrounds them. Safety concerns over baby walkers have been around for years, and Canada took the leap in 2004, being the first country ever to ban the sale, importation and advertisement of them. And while the US has seen greater safety standards enforced in order to help prevent baby walker injuries - no doubt a result of the aforementioned Canadian law - you can still legally purchase and sell baby walkers in the US.

Although certain sunscreen ingredients are deemed harmful, they are still used in small amounts in order to block UVA rays. Take Avobenzone for example, an FDA-approved ingredient that typically makes up 3-5% sunscreen concentration. However, while it is FDA approved, the FDA also states that they don’t support the idea that Avobenzone is safe and effective. So what’s going on? Well, although Avobenzone can help fend off UVA rays, it’s also said to degrade quickly in the sun and release harmful chemicals that can negatively affect the skin. The scary thing is, it’s still used widely across the world, including in the US, Australia, Japan and the EU. But, certain governments are starting to ban Avobenzone - including the Palau government back in 2020.

You’ll usually find that it’s the vibrant, brightly-colored US confectionary that faces a lot of the flack. A big reason for this is because they contain yellow 5 and yellow 6 food dyes - you know, like Skittles. Skittles also contain titanium dioxide - and the combination of this chemical and the aforementioned food dyes has led Austria and Norway to ban the multi-colored treat, with the dyes said to make children hyperactive. While there are growing concerns over yellow 5 and yellow 6 in the US, you can still buy Skittles on US shores. And you can still get your Skittles fix in Europe, although you will be greeted with a warning label on the packaging. Taste the rainbow does have a better ring to it than taste the titanium dioxide and yellow 5 and 6 food dyes, don’t you think?

Yes, we are all worried AI is going to take over, Skynet-style, and robots will destroy and or enslave humanity. But that’s not necessarily why ChatGPT is being banned in certain countries around the world. The Artificial Intelligence chatbot is famously banned in China due to concerns surrounding misinformation. The Chinese government wants to ensure that the ask-me-anything ChatGPT service isn’t spreading harmful or false information to its citizens - and as a result, it’s banned it. Cuba, Iran and Saudi Arabia have also banned ChatGPT for similar reasons.